ADPC recently interviewed Madam Ragnhild Dybdahl, Ph.D. Deputy Head of Mission, Royal Norwegian Embassy Vietnam on the state of psychological and mental health recover in Asia. Madam Dybdahl’s perspective on the region captures trends and sheds light on the challenges surrounding improving public health in emergency services.
ADPC: Could you please describe the urgency for governments in Asia to focus on psychological recovery in Asia? What are the challenges in this part of the world and how can governments potentially overcome them?
Madam Dybdahl: Mental health and psychological recovery are issues that need to be urgently addressed in many countries in Asia. With an increased focus on non-communicable diseases, the burden of mental health problems and long-term consequences of disasters on people’s health- including mental, social and spiritual well-bring – is becoming increasingly clear. This not only causes human suffering, but also has many negative economic and social consequences.
There are a number of challenges, of course, for example the cost of improving services, such as better education and skills for mental health providers, and the stigma that often is attached to mental illness. Governments play important roles in promoting openness and human rights, reducing stigma and including mental health in the health systems. Quality and quantity of education and research in the fields of psychology, psychiatry and other disciplines is very important, and this requires commitment from the governments.
Humanitarian assistance to areas and groups affected by disasters has rarely resulted in significant reduction in the vulnerability of people. There is growing awareness of the need to reduce vulnerability, combined with the recognition that local capacity is decisive for disaster risk reduction. This has led to a stronger focus on how vulnerable groups perceive their own risk and vulnerability, as well as concrete measures to support local capacity for overcoming this vulnerability. This primarily means a closer international focus on local measures to reduce vulnerability and the development of local capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters.
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ADPC: What are some of the stereotypes surrounding mental and psychological health in post-disasters scenarios, and how should we as practitioners overcome this?
Madam Dybdahl: Stereotypes include that stress and grief reactions follow universal phases where people go through shocks and reactions and have to work through their problems or have specific reactions in order to have a sound outcome. Other stereotypes are that having strong reactions to traumatic events is a sign of weakness and shameful. Whatever stereotypes there are, I believe that knowledge and openness are keys to overcome them. I think that sharing and using good research is crucial.
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ADPC: What are some of the psychological disaster interventions that could be a best practice scenario applicable to the Asia context?
Madam Dybdahl: I believe that many Asian countries have demonstrated that they have amazing resilience and very valuable ways to overcome disaster and hardship. I think that applying interventions with a sound evidence base from other contexts is important. At the same time, these should be applied in a way that is culturally acceptable and incorporates local practices for healing and promoting resilience, while constantly keeping a critical perspective and evaluating possible harms and benefits of these interventions. I think it is important that the interventions and measures are well anchored in the countries and at the government level.